Pallister called ‘part-time premier’ for being a no-show at key committee

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This article was published 17/04/2018 (2194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brian Pallister is facing accusations he’s a “part-time premier” after dodging an appearance at a budgetary committee for a second day this week.

On Monday, a scheduled estimates meeting for Executive Council, the premier’s department, was adjourned when Pallister spent the day away from the legislature meeting with groups about a proposed outlet channel to manage water levels on Lake Manitoba.

On Wednesday, the government tried to arrange for Families Minister Scott Fielding to pinch hit for Pallister, but was turned down by the Opposition NDP. Again, the meeting was cancelled.

“Every time we engage in the estimates process, he kind of picks and chooses when he’s going to show up and when he’s decided he’s had enough for the week,” NDP house leader Nahanni Fontaine said after the second meeting was called off.

“You can’t be a part-time premier. Either you’re going to do this job 100 per cent or you’re not,” she said.

Fontaine said she wasn’t told Wednesday why Pallister was unavailable. “I’m not even sure if the government house leader (Cliff Cullen) knows why the premier is not available,” she added.

Estimates meetings — also known as committee of supply — are part of the budgetary process. One-hundred hours are devoted to the process each year, with the Opposition getting a lot of say over which ministers and departments they will focus upon. As many as three committees of supply operate simultaneously at the legislature, generally starting after the daily question period.

Unlike Monday, when Pallister was away from the legislature all day, the premier attended question period on Wednesday but did not stay for estimates. A government spokesman later said in an email that Pallister had departed for Brandon, where he had scheduled meetings in the afternoon and evening. The premier also has two scheduled events in the Wheat City today, including a state of the province address to the Brandon Chamber of Commerce at noon.

Pallister’s attendance in the legislature has not been an issue since the Progressive Conservatives were sworn into office two years ago. All premiers — and cabinet ministers — miss time when the house is sitting due to the nature of their jobs. For the Opposition, however, it’s a blow to miss an opportunity to grill the premier for two consecutive hours on government spending and priorities. The Tories relished such opportunities when they were in opposition.

Cullen, the government house leader, declined to do an interview afterwards. A government spokesman said in an email that because the premier was unavailable, the government asked to substitute Executive Council estimates with that of the Families Department, headed by Fielding. When the Opposition balked, the government offered to have Fielding sit in for the premier, the spokesman said. That was also denied.

Fontaine said the NDP permitted Pallister to get a minister to sit in for him in estimates one day last year, but wasn’t prepared to allow that to happen again. She said he needs to be held to account.

Fontaine said the Opposition could have agreed, with proper notice, to take a week off from Executive Council estimates and substitute another department, but she said she received notice late Tuesday about the government’s desire for a switch.

Paul Thomas, a retired University of Manitoba political scientist, said it would be rare for a premier to have a minister stand in his place in the estimates process.

“I’ve never heard of it before, not to say it couldn’t have happened,” he said.

No cabinet minister would have the same breadth of knowledge about the office of the premier and the functioning of cabinet and overall government policy that the premier would, he said.

With so much power concentrated in the premier’s office these days, it makes sessions such as the Executive Council estimates an important part of the political process, Thomas said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca